Marriott Rewards Premium Visa Credit Card

Chase Canada has revamped the credit card it offers in partnership with Marriott-Ritz Hotel chain to make it a pretty exciting offer.

The card has been offered since last year, but since recently it is being promoted with great fanfare.

The Marriott Rewards Premium Visa Credit Card comes at a cost 120 dollars per year fee, but it will be waived for the first year.

The Marriott Rewards Premium Visa Credit Card’s system of benefits is quite complicated but here is a simplified version:

5 Rewards Points for each net Canadian dollar spent globally on the Marriott/Ritz hotels.

2 Points for every dollar spent on tickets, if it was purchased directly from the airline, or on car rentals and restaurants.

1 Point for every dollar spent in other establishments.

No extra charge for foreign currency conversion, if the Card is used abroad.

No charge for supplementary cards.

1 anniversary bonus night at any of the Category 1-5 hotels for being a card member.

If you stay four consecutive nights, the fifth night is free.

Now, to entice new customers, the following is offered as a sign-up bonus for a limited time:

30,000 Marriott Rewards Points once you start using the card.

A free night in any of the Category 1-4 hotels. The e-certificate will be deposited in your Marriott Rewards account after you have activated your account. It cannot be transferred, and has to be used within six months of issuance. Depending on what type of hotel you stay, the 30,000 bonus points plus the free night could mean up to five nights in a hotel.

Marriott has nine categories of hotels. Rewards Points are charged at the following rate:

Category 1 – 7,500 Points

Category 2 – 10,000 Points

Categories 3-9 — in increments of 5,000 Points

Ritz-Carlton Hotels are divided into five categories.

They start from 30,000 Points and go up in increments of 10,000 Points.

Upgrading to Silver/Gold & Platinum Memberships

Every year 15 nights credit will be added to your account.

With 10 nights in a year entitling you to Silver status, you will automatically be upgraded to this level.

Gold: 50 nights per year

Platinum: at least 75 nights a year.

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Receive coverage, at no additional cost, for damage due to collision or theft, if you charge on your MR card, and decline the rental company’s collision damager waiver.

Zero Liability

If your card has been forged and used, you will not be liable.

A note of caution, though. There are reports that Chase is pretty rigid in approving applications. If you have had a card with their company within the past six months, the chances of being rejected are pretty high.

All in all, it looks a pretty neat card for Canadians even if there is no travel accident or travel cancellation insurance.